1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a header connector, and particularly to a header connector with a securely assembled shell for EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) protection.
2. Description of Related Art
Almost every computer is equipped with a header connector for engaging with a cable end connector which connects with a hard disk drive to establish an electrical connection between the hard disk drive and a printed circuit board on which the header connector is mounted. A conventional header connector comprises an elongate insulative housing having two longitudinal walls and two lateral walls, and a plurality of pin-type terminals retained in the housing. Each terminal includes a mating portion for electrically engaging with a corresponding terminal of a complementary cable end connector, and a tail portion for electrical connection with a printed circuit board. However, when it is required that the header connector carry out high speed data transmission between the printed circuit board and the hard disk drive, electromagnetic or radio frequency interference increases. Therefore, a shell is employed to enclose the insulative housing of the header connector for EMI protection. The shell includes a pair of grounding legs integrally and downwardly extending from opposite ends thereof. When the header connector is mounted on the printed circuit board, the grounding legs are inserted into corresponding positioning holes of the printed circuit board for grounding.
However, because the longitudinal walls of the insulative housing are too long, the shell may not completely abut against the longitudinal walls of the housing without additional retaining means. As a result, the EMI protection of the header connector may be adversely affected. Furthermore, when the grounding legs of the shell are inserted into the positioning holes of the printed circuit board, the shell is easy to separate from the housing.
Hence, a header connector with a securely assembled shell is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a header connector with a shell tightly enclosing an insulative housing thereof for complete electromagnetic interference protection.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a header connector with a shell which has a pair of board locks securely engaged with an insulative housing for facilitating insertion into a printed circuit board.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, a header connector with a shell in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongate insulative housing which has longitudinal walls and lateral walls, a plurality of terminals retained in the housing, and a shell securely assembled to the housing. The housing has a plurality of grooves defined in the longitudinal walls and a pair of projections formed on the lateral walls. Each projection has an outer head and an inner neck integrally connecting with the housing. The shell has a plurality of tags formed on longitudinal walls thereof for being secured in the grooves of the housing, a pair of board locks downwardly extending from lateral walls thereof for interfering with the neck of the projection, and a pair of tabs integrally formed on lateral walls and bent inwardly to engage with recesses defined in a mounting face of the housing. Thus, the shell fixedly encloses the housing for complete electromagnetic interference protection.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.